Nightmares
by kensi54382
Summary: Calleigh is kidnapped from a crime scene, and held hostage in a dangerous place. Once she is rescued, Calleigh finds herself unable to trust anyone anymore. Except Eric. He becomes her rock. Can Eric get Calleigh to trust the people around her during her recovery? Will his surprise help or hinder Calleigh's recovery?
1. Chapter 1

CHAPTER 1

Calleigh put her phone back into her pocket and turned to unlock her car door. She had just gotten off the phone with Horatio, who had told her that the main suspect in their current case had just been found. He was dead in his own home, and their suspects were few. Annoyed, Calleigh unlocked her car and climbed in, ready to head to the dead suspect's home to process the scene. She was in such a bad mood that she didn't notice there was a second person in her car. She started her car and headed out of the parking lot of the restaurant that she had been eating dinner at.

Horatio felt bad for disturbing Calleigh's night off. He knew she had been at dinner with Eric, since it had been all she could talk about that day. Cutting that dinner short was mean but it was Horatio's only choice. It was either that or wait until the next day, and that wasn't an option. This was a high profile case and it needed to be closed already. The case had been open for almost two weeks now, meaning that the press and Horatio's bosses were putting pressure on him. He had already let Eric, Natalia and Ryan off. Eric had had to be in court today. Natalia and Ryan had gotten another case the previous day, so they were out of town.

Horatio exited his car, expecting to see Calleigh walking up to him. Her car was outside the house, meaning that she was there already. But there was no sign of her anywhere. Heading up to the front door, Horatio noticed a shoe on the lawn. It was too small to be a man's shoe and it piqued his curiosity. Horatio walked over and bent down. He quickly realised that the shoe belonged to Calleigh. She had changed at work and headed straight to dinner from there. She had asked him for his opinion on the dress and he had told her that it looked great. The toe of the shoe was red and Horatio's heart skipped a beat as he realised that it was actually blood.

Calleigh screamed when she looked into her rear-view mirror. There was a face staring at her from the backseat of her car. Slamming on the breaks, Calleigh found herself in a fishtail. The car crossed to the wrong side of the road and another car smashed into her. She tightened her grip on the steering wheel but found that she was unable to stop herself from hitting her head. As her vision went black, Calleigh felt someone move her.

Calleigh opened her eyes slightly and found herself being dragged across grass. Her shoe fell off as she tried to stop her kidnapper from pulling her any further. A nauseous feeling overcame Calleigh and she closed her eyes as blackness filled her vision again.

With no idea of how long ago Calleigh had been dragged over the grass, Horatio frantically called for backup and then ran across the grass, looking for any other sign of Calleigh. When he reached the trees on the outside of the house's perimeter, Horatio stopped to catch his breath and call Eric.

"Hey H, what's up?" asked Eric when Horatio heard the phone being answered.

"Calleigh's missing. She didn't change before she left did she?" Horatio could hear hope in his voice.

"No. What do you mean she's missing? Didn't you call her to a crime scene?"

"Yeah. I found her shoe. There's blood on it."

"What!? I'm coming now!"

"Eric, I need you to stay at home in case she comes to you for help."

"No! Calleigh's my best friend. I want to help find her H."

Horatio sighed. "Fine, but Eric, if I tell you to do something, you do it. Understand?"

"Yes. Of course. Where are you?"

"154 Jackbird Lane. Eric, I'm sorry."

"What for?"

"I should've left Calleigh with you. Then nothing would've happened to her."

"It's not your fault H. There is no way you could have seen this coming."

Horatio smiled, said goodbye and then hung up. Eric had promised to get to the scene as quickly as possible and Horatio wanted to look for Calleigh already. He knew that he had to wait for back-up, but it didn't stop him from wanting to run ahead.

Calleigh opened her eyes and found herself in a small room. There was a man near her and Calleigh assumed that he was her kidnapper. She was sore, and when she tried to move towards the man, she found that she had a few injuries.

"Who are you?" asked Calleigh. "What do you want from me?"

"I don't want anything from you. At least not yet anyway. If you do what I say, I won't hurt you."

"Who are you?"

"That's none of your business."

"Fine. Why am I here then?"

"You're bait."

Calleigh sighed in frustration at the answers she was getting. They were vague and uninformative. She needed to find out more if she wanted to be able to find a way out.

"Bait for what?"

"Your boss. He will come looking for you, right?" Uncertainty filled the man's voice.

"What do you think? I'm a cop."

"Good point. Well, be a good girl and you'll get out of here safely." The man laughed coldly and then slammed a door behind him. A few seconds later, the room was plunged into darkness and water started to rush in around Calleigh's feet.


	2. Chapter 2

Calleigh started to shiver as the water moved around her. She had managed to stand up, despite being dizzy, and was looking for a way out.

"Do what I'm about to tell you and I'll stop the water. Take off your clothes." A high pitched laugh followed and Calleigh screamed out.

"NO WAY!"

"If you don't then the water won't stop."

Calleigh hesitated a few seconds more and then began to slowly strip off her clothing. It wasn't hard, since she was only wearing a dress and one shoe, but she was hoping that the kidnapper would change his mind and tell her to stop. But luck wasn't on her side today. She finished undressing and stood still, shivering from the cold water and air. Her kidnapper hadn't spoken but the water had stopped flowing into her prison and she figured that she had done enough to please him.

* * *

Eric jumped out of his car and ran over to his boss. He could see that Horatio was scared but chose not to bring it up, instead asking if he had found anything else.

"No. But I want to search those trees. I don't know what's on the other side though, so it may be dangerous," answered Horatio quietly.

"I'm coming then. Let's go H."

Horatio started to protest, but then gave up, knowing that Eric wasn't about to change his mind. Together, they headed for the trees with a few officers in tow, looking for anything that could help them find their missing CSI.

After almost half an hour of battling tree branches and darkness, Eric and Horatio came out on the opposite side of the trees. There was a pier leading out into the dark water, and Horatio could just make out a boat at the end.

A scream made Eric and Horatio look up. They knew that sound. They knew who had made it too. Quickly making a decision, the two CSIs and their fellow officers ran towards the boat, being careful to not trip and cause extra noise. Calleigh needed them.

* * *

Pretty soon, Calleigh could hear pounding footsteps getting closer. Praying they were friendly, she screamed as loud as she could to get their attention. She also, unfortunately, got the attention of her kidnapper, who had come running to the door of the room. Before she knew it, the water was flowing in again.

Calleigh moved towards the window that was close to her. She looked out to find that she was still on land, and she quickly pulled her clothes on. After struggling for a few minutes, Calleigh heard her kidnapper again. She looked around to see if he had come in, but the only noticeable difference was the water level. It was now up to her chest. Calleigh grabbed the window and pushed on it, but it was locked. There was no way that she would be able to open it, and she was already out of energy.

* * *

Eric raced ahead of Horatio and reached the boat first. He pounded on the door until it opened and then hurried in, his gun held out in front of him. He didn't care if he had to shoot his way through the boat. All he wanted was to see Calleigh, safe and unharmed. After searching every room on the bottom floor of the boat, Eric headed upstairs, well aware of Horatio behind him. There were three rooms ahead. Two of the doors were open, leaving no question as to where Calleigh was. He kicked open the door and gasped at what awaited him.

* * *

Calleigh was now struggling to stay above water. She was exhausted and sore, which made it hard for her to swim to the surface. She was scared. The footsteps that she had heard earlier were gone, making her think that she was alone again. Her heart was banging against her chest and her lungs were burning. She was having trouble staying awake too. It wasn't until she heard a loud bang and felt the water rushing away from her that she managed to open her eyes for a few seconds. Through blurry vision, Calleigh saw her hero and then passed out, completely welcoming the darkness and quiet that surrounded her.

* * *

"Got you!" came Horatio's voice from a room somewhere behind him.

Eric's shock turned to fear when he saw that Calleigh wasn't moving, and, ignoring the officers behind him, he ran into the room, taking off his jacket as he went. As he dropped to his knees beside Calleigh, Eric saw that she had closed her eyes. Shaking from fear, Eric wrapped his jacket around Calleigh and picked her up to carry her out to safety.


	3. Chapter 3

Eric hadn't moved for three days now. Horatio had come and gone multiple times, as had all of their colleagues at the lab. Calleigh's father had been just as stubborn as Eric, only moving to get coffee and food when it was needed. Currently he was out getting coffee, which had left Eric alone again.

Calleigh hadn't woken up yet. The doctors had told Eric that Calleigh had gotten hypothermia from spending so much time in the cold water. They had also said that she had several injuries, the worst being a damaged kidney. Luckily, the damage hadn't been too bad. The doctors had said that it wouldn't need to be removed and that it would heal in time. The only thing that was worrying them was that Calleigh was still in a coma. Eric had been holding Calleigh's hand since the doctors had let him in three days ago, and he refused to let go, just in case she slipped away. He was sure that if he left, something would happen. He was even too scared to sleep, just in case something happened to his best friend.

"Here you go," said Duke quietly from behind Eric.

Turning around, Eric took the coffee from Duke's hand. "Thank you Mr Duquesne."

"No problem. And I told you, call me Duke."

"Sorry, but it doesn't feel right. My mum always told me to be respectful."

"You are."

Eric smiled before another thought entered his mind. "Mr Duquesne, I've been wanting to ask Calleigh to marry me for a while now. But, I just thought, is it okay with you?"

"Of course it is." A smile spread across Duke's face. "Calleigh loves you. I don't have a problem since I know that you won't hurt her. But, know this. If you do hurt her, I'll come after you and give you twice the amount of pain you cause my little lamb chop. Understand?"

"Definitely." Eric thanked Calleigh's father and then turned back to his girlfriend.

* * *

"This is your last chance. Why did you kidnap Officer Duquesne?" asked Frank exasperatedly. He was questioning Calleigh's kidnapper.

"I told you that I didn't have a reason."

"What's your name?" asked Horatio. He was getting sick of this guy.

"What's yours?"

"Answer the question."

"You first."

"I'm the one asking questions here, not you. Answer the question already. Who are you?"

Sighing in defeat, the kidnapper answered Horatio. "Justin Developer."

"Justin, why did you kidnap Miss Duquesne?"

"She was convenient."

"Convenient for what?"

"My plan."

"What plan?"

"Revenge."

"For what?"

"My sister."

"Who's your sister?"

"None of your business."

Horatio stood up and left the interrogation room, slamming the door behind him. Justin was infuriating and Horatio was sick of him. He and Frank had been interrogating Justin for two and a half days now, and they still weren't getting anywhere. Horatio turned around when he felt a tap on his shoulder.

"Miss Boavista, what can I do for you?" asked Horatio.

"Eric called with some news on Calleigh," replied Natalia.


	4. Chapter 4

Eric looked up after a small movement caught his eye. After a couple of minutes without anymore movement, he started to look down again. Then he felt something tug on his hand and his heart leapt with joy.

"Calleigh, wake up," said Eric happily.

When Calleigh's eyes fluttered open, Eric called out for a nurse. He was so excited that he didn't notice that Calleigh had pulled away from him. He didn't see the fear in her eyes either.

"Mr Delko, what's wrong?" asked Sandy. She and Eric had become friends quite quickly.

"Calleigh's awake."

Sandy looked over at the bed and saw, to her immense relief, that Calleigh was indeed awake and watching her every move. Walking over, Sandy noticed that Calleigh was afraid of her, though she couldn't understand why. Most of the patients loved her. She figured that it was just because Calleigh was generally scared and didn't think about it again.

"Hi Calleigh. I'm Sandy, a nurse at Mercy Hospital. Do you remember what happened?"

Calleigh shook her head but stayed focused on Sandy.

"Okay. That's alright. I'm sure Eric can fill you in if you want to know. Are you in any pain?"

After a few seconds, Calleigh nodded her head. "Not much though," she added when she realised that she would be bothering Sandy. The look on her face clearly said that she thought she was a bother.

"Don't hide the pain Calleigh. You aren't a bother. My job is to help you get better. I'm here if you need anything."

Calleigh smiled for the first time since waking up. Sandy smiled back and gave Calleigh pain relief before giving Eric a smile and then leaving.

"Cal, I'm so glad you're okay. You scared everyone," said Eric. He hugged Calleigh after helping her sit up.

"Don't leave me Eric," whispered Calleigh.

Eric sat down and Calleigh rested her head on his chest, closing her eyes until she felt a kiss on her head. She looked up to find her father smiling at her, a look of relief on his face.

"Daddy," said Calleigh as she accepted his gentle hug.

"Lamb chop. Don't ever scare me like that again." Duke's tone was slightly harsh but he wore a smile anyway.

"Calleigh, since your dad's here, I'm going to make a quick phone call. I'll be back in a few minutes, alright?" asked Eric.

Again, Calleigh nodded. She then let her father take Eric's place next to her and closed her eyes again.

* * *

"What did he say?" asked Horatio.

Natalia looked at her boss with a smile on her face. "She's awake," squealed Natalia happily.

Horatio let out a breath that he hadn't realised he was holding. The news wasn't particularly good, but he supposed that it was a good sign that Calleigh had woken up. Horatio watched as Natalia practically skipped through the hallways, whistling as she went. She was clearly happy that her friend was awake. Realising that she hadn't actually seen Calleigh until the day after they had found her, Horatio figured that Natalia thought that her friend was better. Horatio didn't have the heart to tell her otherwise; to tell her that it may be better for Calleigh if she had still been unconscious.

"Miss Boavista," called Horatio.

Natalia turned around. "Yes H?"

"Go visit her. Take Ryan with you."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah. I want to try and get some more information from that idiot in there anyway. Tell Calleigh that I'll come by tonight."

"Okay. Thank you Horatio." Natalia almost ran through the halls this time, calling out to Ryan as she passed the break room.

* * *

Natalia knocked on the door to Calleigh's hospital room and then entered with Ryan behind her. Her smile hadn't left her face since she had heard the news and it only grew bigger when she saw Calleigh sitting up, reading and having lunch.

"Hey Cal, how are you?" asked Natalia.

"I'm okay," said Calleigh with a stiff smile.

"Where's Eric?"

"Getting lunch with my dad."

Natalia sat down on the edge of the bed and picked up Calleigh's book. "Uh, do you want a better book to read Cal. I have one in the car."

"Sure. Sounds good to me." In actual fact, Calleigh just wanted them to leave her alone. She didn't know why, but she didn't trust them anymore.

To her immense relief, a few minutes later, Natalia and Ryan left Calleigh, and she curled up underneath the thick blankets covering her. She had just fallen asleep when she felt someone kiss her cheek and opened her eyes with a smile on her face. Eric helped her sit up and pulled her into a hug, where she stayed until Natalia's voice drifted to her from outside the room.

"Eric, I don't want them here," whispered Calleigh. She had tensed in his arms, causing concerns for Eric.

"Why?"

"I don't know, but I don't trust them. I don't trust anyone except you and my dad."

"Okay sweetie. I'll get rid of them. Pretend to sleep. I'll be back soon."

Calleigh closed her eyes when Eric moved. She could hear him moving around and talking. She soon heard Natalia agree to give Calleigh some space, though she could also hear the sadness. Immediately, Calleigh felt bad and opened her eyes, calling out to Natalia. A tearful Natalia ran into Calleigh's room, making Calleigh realise that she was safe around her friend.


	5. Chapter 5

Eric was proud. He could tell that Calleigh was scared of everyone around her right now, so when she hugged Natalia, he was happy to see that she had realised her trust was still there. It stopped there though, meaning that Calleigh still had a long way to go before she was back to herself again.

"Eric, I'm going home now, so could you look after Calleigh until I get back tomorrow?" asked Duke.

Duke had picked Calleigh up from the hospital that morning and taken her home, where Eric had made her some lunch and a comfy bed on the couch. The minute Calleigh had sat down on the couch, Eric had wrapped a blanket around her shoulders, making a cocoon around her. He was still worried that she would get sick again. Calleigh had laughed at him, making him smile for a few seconds.

"Of course I can Mr Duquesne. I'm sleeping over tonight anyway. Calleigh agreed to have the team over for lunch tomorrow, so I was planning on asking her then. Do you think that's a good idea?"

"I think it's an excellent idea Eric." The warm smile made Eric feel relaxed.

"Will you be here?"

"Yes. I won't miss the look on Cal's face for the world. Good luck."

"Thank you."

* * *

Calleigh opened the kitchen door carefully. She was holding a tray of drinks and didn't want to spill them. After an argument with Eric earlier, they had finally decided that Calleigh could serve lunch for the team, since she had been feeling useless. Eric had wanted to look after lunch so that Calleigh could relax, but he also couldn't say no to her when she had begged him to let her do something.

"Thanks Nat," said Calleigh. Natalia was holding the door open.

The previous night, after her father had left, Calleigh had spent almost two hours on the phone with Natalia, discussing their lunch plans and plans for the weekend.

"No problem Cal. Do you want me to help with anything?" asked Natalia.

"No thanks. I have another tray to get but I'll do it. You can make yourself comfy."

"Okay."

Once Calleigh had come back from the kitchen with the second tray, Eric got everyone's attention.

"Calleigh," said Eric as he got down on one knee, "will you marry me?"

Calleigh gasped and almost dropped her glass. She looked at Eric, speechless, unsure of what to say.

**A/N: short chapter, but the next one will be longer. :)**


	6. Chapter 6

Eric was nervous. Everyone had gone quiet, waiting for Calleigh's answer. She was still sitting in front of Eric and hadn't said anything yet.

"Cal?" asked Duke quietly from behind her.

Calleigh shook her head and then looked back at Eric. He had a hopeful look on his face and her heart leapt with joy when she realised that he was being serious.

"YES!" exclaimed Calleigh. She threw herself into Eric's outstretched arms, engulfing him in a bear hug.

Everyone in the room cheered. They all knew that Calleigh loved Eric with her whole heart, and they knew that she was excited. After Eric put the ring on her finger, Calleigh practically ran over to her father, smiling and happy.

"Look daddy, I'm getting married!"

Duke smiled at his daughter. "I heard lamb chop. Congratulations." He hugged Calleigh.

"Can I see the ring Calleigh?" asked Natalia. Calleigh showed her the ring excitedly. "Congratulations!" squealed Natalia.

The two girls hugged each other and jumped up and down with excitement.

"You know, I'll never get used to the sight of girls jumping up and down when they're excited over something. Especially when the excitement is caused by a ring," remarked Ryan.

"You learn to shut it out," said Duke with a smile on his face. He continued to watch his daughter, glad that Eric had asked her to marry him.

* * *

Once the lunch mess had been cleaned up and everyone had left, Calleigh collapsed onto the couch next to her new fiance. She couldn't stop looking at the ring on her finger.

"It's not going to disappear if you stop looking Cal."

Calleigh turned her head to Eric. "I know, but I feel like this is a dream. It's just too good to be true."

"I love you Cal."

"I love you too Eric. Thank you, this ring must have cost a fortune."

"It doesn't matter. You can't put a price on love." The smile on his face confirmed what Eric was saying.

Calleigh closed her eyes and put her head onto Eric's chest, making herself comfortable. She was so happy that she was going to get married, even more so to Eric.

* * *

**Two Days Later**

"Hey Ryan, I'm really sorry for treating you so badly. I didn't mean it."

Over the last two days, Calleigh had been calling her friends, and visiting them, to apologise for her behaviour. She had also been giving them invitations to her wedding, which was still two months away. Eric had convinced her that the team weren't going to hurt her, and he had finally gotten through to her. Ryan was the last person that she had to apologise to.

"That's okay Calleigh. I can't wait to come to the wedding by the way."

Calleigh smiled happily. She had her friends back, and she was going to be Mrs Eric Delko in a few months time. Everything was starting to look up for her.

**THE END**


End file.
